Electronics, such as processors or memory, generate heat during operation. If left unchecked, this heat can reduce system performance and even lead to partial or complete system failure. As such, many existing technologies attempt to remove or dissipate heat through the use of heat sinks, cooling fans, etc.
While these technologies may be effective for cooling a single electronic component that is not located near other sources of heat, these technologies fall short when it comes to more complex systems that include multiple heat generation sources, such as server racks or storage arrays. Some storage arrays, like those that include multiple solid state drives (SSD), generate a significant amount of heat during operation.
Existing cooling systems for such systems typically include multiple high-speed fans. These high-speed fans are noisy; add significant expense to the system; increase the overall energy consumption of these systems; and decrease system efficiency. Moreover, existing cooling systems do not always alleviate localized hot-spots that form within the systems, which in turn shortens the life of the individual components within the system.
In light of these and other issues, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for more effectively cooling electronic components, especially those found in larger systems that contain multiple heat generating components.